Erle Stanley Gardner's Delta

On the wall of Guisti's hangs a photo of Erle Stanley Gardner and Manuel "Moe" Morais. It is one of the last pieces of Erle Stanley Gardner memorabilia left in the Delta region. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)

Erle Stanley Gardner's Delta

Fifty years ago, "Perry Mason" creator found relaxation, adventure, camaraderie on the waters of the Delta

By Lauren Nelson
Lodi Living Editor

Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:31 AM PDT

Comments (1 comment(s))

He yanked whiskered catfish out of the waters of Snodgrass Slough before sunrise.

He satisfied a sweet tooth with wild blackberries overtaking the river's edge.

He sipped red wine and filled up on sourdough french bread at Giusti's Place.

He dedicated hours to getting a single photograph of a bass feasting on the water's surface.

At his special place, he liked to think of himself as living a gypsy kind of existence.

Few have loved or celebrated the San Joaquin Delta River as did Erle Stanley Gardner. His Delta was full of fish to be caught. Its cool waters were soothing on hot days. The sunsets were glowing murals of violets and oranges with silhouetted egrets soaring back to their flocks.

Almost 50 years later, with the Delta region wrapped in politics and the complex fishery in transition, it is a refreshment to revisit Gardner's Delta, a place of both wonder and simplicity.

Gardner always did what he wanted.

Gardner was born in Massachusettes in 1889. He attended Palo Alto High School and started law school, though rumor has it that he was kicked out when he demonstrated his love for boxing. After passing the bar exam, he opened his own law offices, first in Merced and then in Ventura. Bored with working in an office, he moved to Temecula and started writing.

His biggest creation was a character known as Perry Mason. Mason, a fictional defense lawyer, became the subject of over 80 books and short stories and one of the longest-running and most popular lawyer series on TV.

He wrote other things, too. He was published in pulp magazines. He wrote short stories. His first novel is one of his most popular, "The Case of the Velvet Claws." It was out of this novel that the character of Perry Mason was first brought to life. He wrote dozens of fiction books, including "This is Murder," "The Case of the Musical Cow" and "Turn on the Heat."

He even wrote travel books, like the three on his summers spent on the Delta in the 1960s: "The World of Water," "Gypsy Days on the Delta" and "Drifting Down the Delta."

The books aren't really travel guides, nor are they literary masterpieces. They've been called conversational and read more as journal entries. Amateur photos illustrate almost every page. Gardner demonstrating how to hold a catfish with his bare hands. Women posing in "vintage" swimsuits. The photo captions read like labels in his personal family album:

"Living a gypsy experience."

"It was my idea to explore hundreds of miles of sloughs."

"Charcoal is sometimes a necessity.

And, "Millie Conarroe is easy on the eyes."

In one black and white photograph is Gardner, wearing a polo shirt and captain's hat that became his every day uniform — though he had several caps in different colors.

He is posing with Manuel "Moe," Morais, the owner of Giusti's Place at the time, where Gardner ate bread and drank a little red wine.

Manuel Morais' son, Mark Morais, is now the third generation owner of Giusti's. He was 14 or 15 when his father and Gardner became friends.

"He was a very easy going, laid-back guy," said Mark Morais, the third generation owner of Giusti's. "This was his hangout."

Mark Morais remembers Gardner's captains hat. He remembers him being a light drinker. On his way to the Delta, Gardner would always call Manuel Morais and tell him to get the soup ready because Uncle Erle was on his way.

Now, as the years have passed, not many people living and working in the Delta region remember Gardner. Sure, they've heard the legend of how the famous writer explored the sloughs. But few remain who got to know him.The framed photo on the wall of fame at Giusti's is one of the last pieces of Gardner memorabilia left in the Delta.

Connie King, the woman known as the grandmother of Locke, remembers Gardner's visits. They became friends. She would bake pies and share recipes with his secretaries. He joked with her and Locke residents.

"He spoke a little Chinese," King said. "He had no problem talking to people in Locke. He was very happy."

King says the river had an effect on Gardner that made him want to write about it. He was always asking question, always taking pictures.

"He came to the Delta and saw a different kind of town," she said.

Gardner was tempted by the Delta breeze the first time it blew over his skin. He craved the camaraderie that locals shared. He wanted to see the stripes on a bass. And the first time he saw a houseboat, he had to have one. For five summers after that, the writer, already in his 70s, would return to the river where he did little but sit with a fishing pole or nurse a cup of coffee.

In the early 1960s, he made his first purchase. It was a brand new River Queen houseboat with decks on the front, back and on the roof. But soon, newer models with more power, twin engines and storage space teased him.

To make room for work supplies — dictating machines and cameras — he bought another boat, the Whit-Craft houseboat designed to slice through the water effortlessly.

The two houseboats were tied together while docked under big oak trees along the river banks or anchored for afternoon swims. The men lived on one boat, the women on the other.

"While the women were constantly tidying up their houseboat," he said, "we kept ours in a state of masculine informality which was a joy to behold."

He like the idea of rolling out of bed, tossing a fishing line in the water and knowing if the fish were biting by the time the coffee percalated. He stared stubborn, clamped-jawed fish in the eyes. He didn't mind the cool, damp nights on the boat. It gave him reason to use his heavy Army blanket.

Though they were on separate boats, he felt the river push his group of friends (who were also staff) closer together. He would spend hours with a single fishing buddy in a small aluminum boat. They shared stories and secrets while floating in shallow waters under a sprawling tree. Men saw the women without updos and makeup, while the women saw the men with unshaven faces and in their pajamas.

"I was enjoying the companionship, the feeling of being part of a friendly, cohesive group, isolated from the cares of the world," he wrote.

"Perry Mason" was still on the air. There was still work to be done. Scripts to read. Notes to be taken. Telegraphs to be sent to the world beyond the water and the majestic Mount Diablo.

At night, he listened to the silence, the soft knock of water against the boat's exterior. Hours drifted by without notice.

"The charm of complete freedom from care and responsibilities engulfed my consciousness in a state of utter tranquility. I was drugged with contentment," he wrote.

"The tranquil atmosphere of these house cruisers, the charm of sitting out on a shaded deck in a comfortable chair, watching the breeze rustle the leaves of the big shade trees were utterly irresistible."

The Delta was where Gardner found love and himself and relaxation. In 1968, after his voyages, he married his long-time secretary, Jean Bethell, who had traveled the Delta with him.

He discovered his love for fishing and the cool night air and the healing qualities of the water.

"The world of water is filled with adventure, relaxation and friendship," he concluded at the end of his first summer on the Delta.

"It is truly a wonderful world."

Earl Stanley Gardner At A Glance
How we know him: Creator of Perry Mason; loved the San Joaquin Delta so much that he wrote three books on the river.
Born: July 17, 1889
Died: March 11, 1970
Family: First wife Natalie Frances Talbert and daughter, Grace. In 1968, he married long-time secretary Jean Bethell.
Professions: Lawyer, tire salesman, writer
Tricks to writing: He forced himself to write 4,000 words a night
Favorite restaurant on the Delta: Giusti's Place
First novel: "The Case of the Velvet Claws," which first introduced Perry Mason
Pen names: A.A. Fair, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenney, Charles M. Green
Source: http://www.ThrillDetective.com, News-Sentinel staff

Quiz: How much do you know about Perry Mason?
1. Who played Perry Mason on the TV show?
A. Ray Collins
B. Raymond Burr
C. John Voight

2. What was Paul Drake's nickname for Della?
A. Beautiful
B. Sunshine
C. Shiner

3. What was Perry Mason's office phone number?
A. 555-LAW3
B. Madison 5-1190
C. 272-5150

4. What car did Mason drive in the first season?
A. 1957 Chevy
B. 1960 Corvette
C. 1957 Ford Skyliner

5. Who said this: "Me? I don't even know what I like!"
A. Della Street
B. Perry Mason
C. Paul Drake

Answers: 1. B. Raymond Burr 2. A. Beautiful 3. B. Madison 5-1190 4. C. 1957 Ford Skyliner 5. C. Paul Drake
Source: Internet Movie Database

"The World of Water"
Published 1964
In his first travel book about the Sacramento and San Joaquin Delta River, Erle Stanley Gardner wrote about the maze of inland waterways formed by the Sacramento, Mokelumne and San Joaquin Rivers.

He called this a boating paradise that quickly became his second home. When he discovered the joys of living on the waterways, with characteristic enthusiasm he invested in six boats: Two for living and four for transportation.

"Gypsy Days on the Delta"
Published in 1967
Gardner continues floating down the river in "Gypsy Days on the Delta." He enjoys a gypsy experience, in which there is a closeness between the members of his boat, as well as between locals. Any change he had, Gardner went to the Delta, what he called a wonderful world of water with its gift of leisure spiced with adventure. On this trip, the fleet of boats set out to find the best fishing and camping.

"Drifting Down the Delta"
Published in 1969
In the book published the year before Gardner died, he continues his exploration of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Delta Rivers. He writes about increasing awareness of available and the many changes to the Delta. On this last trip, Gardner took time to visit Delta Towns and event enjoyed a banjo band that played on a houseboat parked next to his own.

Reader Feedback

jramagic wrote on Jul 20, 2008 8:31 AM:

" Dear Lord....I pray that this beautiful, timeless place be lovingly preserved and even restored. It is a place of human healing where clocks have no hands and people smile and speak kindly to one another. Please don't let those who would exploit and commercialize this fragile sacred region do so. Let the Delta continue to be what it has always been.
Amen "

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